Verbena plant named ‘Sunmaricomu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Sunmaricomu’, characterized by its compact and mounding to cascading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; red purple-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNMARICOMU’.

REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Verbena Plant Named ‘Sunmaricoaka’.

Applicants: Takeshi Kanaya & Tomoya Misato.

(U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/658,044).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunmaricomu’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, mounding and freely-branching Verbena cultivars with attractive flower coloration.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in November, 2005 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number 00-17, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number 00-20, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in October, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since November, 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunmaricoma’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunmaricomu’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena:

-   -   1. Compact and mounding to cascading plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Red purple-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the         foliar plane.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena are not as upright as plants of the         female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena are not as upright as plants of the         male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have lavender-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of Verbena ‘Sunmaricoaka’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/658,044. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of ‘Sunmaricoaka’ in flower color as plants of ‘Sunmaricoaka’ have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of Verbena ‘Sunvivapa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,933. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of ‘Sunvivapa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact than plants of         ‘Sunvivapa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were not as upright as plants of         ‘Sunvivapa’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Sunvivapa’.     -   4. Plants of the new Verbena had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Sunvivapa’.     -   5. Plants of the new Verbena had darker red purple-colored         flowers than plants of ‘Sunvivapa’.     -   6. Flowers of plants of the new Verbena had longer peduncles         than flowers of plants of ‘Sunvivapa’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunmaricomu’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Sunmaricomu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the spring and early summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures averaging 23° C. and night temperatures averaging 13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Sunmaricomu’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number 00-17, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number 00-20, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 to 14 days at 20° C. to 25°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, mounding to cascading             growth habit; freely branching habit with numerous lateral             branches developing per plant; pinching enhances lateral             branch development; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17.8 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 44 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 17.6 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to decumbent.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate to obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Coarse; pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 145B. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 145B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 4.9 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers             arranged in hemispherical terminal racemes; flowers face             mostly upright; freely flowering habit with about 21 flowers             per inflorescence and about 14 inflorescences per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about four weeks after planting; long             flowering period, plants flower continuously from spring to             late autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 5.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.9 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted. Diameter: About 2.4 cm. Depth (height): About             1.8 cm. Tube length: About 1.78 cm. Tube diameter: About 1.7             mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3.6 mm.             Shape: Clavate. Color: Close to N79B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal length: About 10.9 mm. Petal width: About 9.8 mm.             Petal lobe shape: Obcordate. Petal lobe apex: Cordate. Petal             margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close             to 71A; center, close to 150D. Petal, when opening, lower             surface: Close to 72A. Petal, fully opened, upper surface:             Close to N78A; center, close to 150D. Petal, fully opened,             lower surface: Close to N78C; towards the margins, close to             N78B; center, close to 85D. Throat: Close to 149D. Tube:             Close to 149D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One single narrow calyx tube per flower             with five fused sepals. Sepal length: About 12.7 mm. Sepal             width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex:             Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to corolla tube. Stamen length: About 2 cm.             Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 0.3 mm by             1.4 mm. Anther color: Close to 154B. Pollen amount: Very             scarce. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 16.4 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close             to 146B. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to             145A. Fruits/seeds: Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbenas. 

1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Sunmaricomu’ as illustrated and described. 